Off to Chicago with the family for the day tomorrow. YAY!!

Des Moines band, Parlours in Chicago. Source: Band webpage.

But one has to remember that in 1983 these guys practically invented independent music. And their early hits stand up quite well thank you. To say nothing of all the bands they have influenced down the years. I’m looking at you Decemberists.

So, dig it:

Got two links for awesome Christmas mashups for you. Totally free y’all.

Santastic V

Last year’s A Very Bootie Christmas. Brought to you by the fabulous folks at Bootie USA. I highly recommend, “High Tides and Blocked Peace Pipes,” and “Yuletide Zepplin,” which is exactly what you think it is, but awseomer. Just follow the links on the page to a treasure trove of non-Xmas bootastic mashup goodness.

This year’s model is Santastic V and it comes complete with videos. Dig “Rudolf (You Don’t Have To Put On The Red Light)”

In the lead in from this song on the album (accessable on the band’s MySpace page link above), is someone reading from one of my favorite Lincoln speeches, the Address Before the Young Men’s Lyceum of Springfield, Illinois, January 27, 1838

At what point shall we expect the approach of danger? By what means shall we fortify against it?– Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant, to step the Ocean, and crush us at a blow? Never!–All the armies of Europe, Asia and Africa combined, with all the treasure of the earth (our own excepted) in their military chest; with a Buonaparte for a commander, could not by force, take a drink from the Ohio, or make a track on the Blue Ridge, in a trial of a thousand years.

At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.

Which, I suppose could be used as a rallying cry by both political parties at this juncture. OR could be seen as an caution against the kind of divisive and rancorous politics being practiced today. It’s also a pretty pithy rationale for a thorough going review of the defense budget. Which, if one is genuinely interested in deficit reduction (as opposed to just posturing about it) is the number one, non-entitlement program you are going to want to look at.

The Flaming Lips have been around since forever. I remember seeing them at the now-gone but legendary Crow’s Nest in Iowa City in the early 1980′s when they were just a moderatly interesting, albeit fun alt-rock band. When I worked at KRUI, they cut a cool faux-rap station ID. They were amusing, but forgettable.

Flash forward to 1990. I had just come back from Eastern Europe and was flopping in a house in De Kalb and somone played In A Priest-Driven Ambulance. It blew my mind and I asked who the band was. When I was told it was the Flaming Lips, I couldn’t believe it.

Since then they have released one trippy album after another. Some have more catchy tunes than others but all are magnificently produced, interesting and often quite tender. One of my favorite bands of all time. “Do You Realize,” is one of my favorite songs. Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots came out in 2002, just as my oldest daughter, Molly was getting interested in music and listening to music with Daddy. I used to play this song for her and it remains, “Our Song.”